· Box score
COLLEGE STATION – No. 13 Texas A&M jumped out to a 4-0 lead after three innings and never looked back, as it controlled Tuesday night’s midweek tilt from start to finish for a 6-2 victory against UTSA at Olsen Field.
The Roadrunners dropped to 19-14 overall with the four-run loss, while the Aggies won for the fifth time in their last six contests to improve to 28-7.
Luke Anders got Texas A&M on the board in the second when he led off the frame with a line drive over the right-field wall off UTSA emergency starter J.T. Mackey. It was Anders' sixth home run of the season.
The Aggies then added three more runs on four hits one inning later to extend the advantage to 4-0 and chase Mackey from the contest.
UTSA drew within three with a tally in the fourth. Redshirt freshman Tim Palincsar, a College Station native, led off the frame with his 10th double of the year to extend his career-high hitting streak to 13 games. After sophomore Michael Rockett walked, junior Trent Lockwood followed with an RBI single up the middle to plate Palincsar. However, the Roadrunners could not do any more damage, as senior Ryan Saltzgaber fouled out to third on a bunt attempt and the next two hitters grounded into fielder’s choices to end the threat.
The Aggies added two-out insurance runs in the sixth off junior Bradley Chovanec and the eighth off freshman Zach Calhoon and took a 6-1 lead into the ninth.
Saltzgaber led off the frame with his fourth homer of the season. Junior Zach Etheredge and senior Mitch Ponza followed with base hits, but it was not meant to be, as junior Phillip Allen grounded into a 6-4-3 double play and junior Marshal Davis rolled out to short to end the game.
A&M starter Jason Meyer improved to a perfect 4-0 with three scoreless innings. He allowed just two hits, walked one and struck out a pair.
Mackey (4-2), making the first start of his UTSA career, allowed four runs on six hits and walked one in his three innings of work. He was filling in for freshman Ryan Proudfoot, who missed the contest due to illness.
Etheredge and Lockwood both went 2-for-4 and Saltzgaber collected a pair of base hits for the ninth time in his last 13 games.
UTSA returns home on Friday when it begins a three-game Southland Conference series against Northwestern State. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Roadrunner Field.
